STEM EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL AS AN INTEGRATED EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
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Date
2026
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Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski"
Abstract
The article examines STEM education in primary school as an integrated educational environment in which curriculum content, hands-on activity, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and reflection operate within a common didactic model. The aim is to justify a methodological framework for planning, implementing and evaluating STEM activities oriented toward engagement, collaboration and practical application of knowledge. The study applies a theoretical-applied approach combining analysis of pedagogical scenarios, a six-step pedagogical design model, practice-based cases and questionnaire feedback from six teacher qualification courses with 281 processed questionnaires. The empirical data are interpreted through indicators related to content quality, methodological guidance, organization of the learning environment, and applicability of practical tasks. The questionnaire feedback outlines a predominantly positive perception of the practice-oriented format: 81.3% of valid responses across the five target indicators are positive. The conclusion is that STEM education in primary school has the potential for higher pedagogical effectiveness when it is implemented as an integrated educational environment in which content, hands-on activity, technologies, collaboration, and reflection are subordinated to a common didactic aim.
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Keywords
STEM education, primary education, pedagogical design, artificial intelligence, digital platforms